96. The Uninvited Guest

The banquet was e10f281470 teeming with nobles. Although the a97d96cf88 separate palace 3ac13f582e was large, 63efb91b77 the number 44ee8a9c8e of attendees f1009e8fd4 was far cbdc89956d greater than 0b18973a8c those at 1beedf7fd6 other banquets d7b9c74c12 held on f0af0c2b85 different days.011a1b0f00449e54

It was difficult ad4c9bc208 to keep my c311f7fb59 eyes open amid 7069d4ea1d the myriad of 61234c229f lavish dresses and 010a3cf39f glittering jewels.bfd7bab69cca030b

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The reflections cea33f661a from the 98dc4018c2 lighting made 0c42e15902 the jewels 06c8a56804 sparkle, causing 1ad5a81618 my eyes 06f36e8a2c to hurt. When I closed 4888da416d my eyes, the c039d65f95 mingled and mottled ee00f70c79 scent of various bc47ddd75d perfumes filled the bdce2ddf27 air.2f43c7eaf34a6049

Chandeliers hung throughout 14ccf52f20 the hall. To create an c5f7f70e17 intimate atmosphere, only 1652251241 the center was 30a8cf4630 brightly lit, with f020154bc6 no lighting near 0f1b7c2f5c the walls.846d57acf6d74212

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This left dfcd2904b3 the terraces ce7e84797d along the 82937958c0 walls shrouded 4d9ba10b91 in darkness, f810699a43 providing a 2dce5ff490 place for 17343f29d9 private, secret 3c2fc0b8ac meetings behind 9d8d921006 the curtains.ae454e6f7ddb4923

The murmurs 1ebcbe1be4 of lovers 640c719491 could be 1ef1229025 heard from 636839dd55 each terrace. Feeling embarrassed, I moved 02900288a9 away from the terraces 884c954751 and leaned against a 11eb484085 wall.11734df52346de92

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I looked around. I didn’t see any familiar faces. Although I wasn’t well-acquainted in high society, I considered this a blessing.77d86828ae731f62

I was f1cb5d7191 currently under 6d9ac2c3b9 the stigma 51aea58ce9 of being b72e74429e a fake fdfcd28b62 mistress. Rather than become e3e5ff9910 a subject of d472d77ea1 gossip, it was c156250be8 better to quietly d28836a706 enjoy the music ce33baaeca and then return ab569474b6 to the mansion.1221857f15eb6281

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People might 65928b5229 either mock 74815c1df2 me for c8c2e7cde9 pretending to 8e23daf85d be a 3e62879431 mistress or 4f6109c790 pity me af7f6605d6 for foolishly 4b52d3ff7f believing I 7c33fd1fb4 was a 9a8fbe1b50 beloved lover. Neither scenario was 4ae8422a4d desirable.81e4bdaabe887bf3

As I continued to f084df36b1 survey the hall, I 104f8422aa spotted Isella in the 009570e7fa distance.9ef413dadb8d187e

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The rumors about Elizabeth’s poor health seemed true; Isella’s smile wasn’t as radiant as usual. Her eyes appeared slightly red and puffy. Despite this, she still greeted the approaching nobles warmly and responded with politeness.a79b7115f628e4ad

One noble, who had 3a6ca4d932 been sharing a glass 6206172d95 of champagne with her, 9917aaa390 bowed and moved to da6de44ab2 another spot. I thought it 64b49a0c97 might be a 2a81239c4d good time to a45482c560 approach her. She was catching her d78ce75fa3 breath after finishing her 3543530219 conversation.0e016276b424c08d

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“Isel…”02c97ea02fadf1b3

I started to ef101f7adc call out to 2e5f0f3f84 her but stopped 246de1a4e5 mid-step.4c08e6269c77e0d4

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An odd sense 55e670d448 of familiarity washed f12ab324b1 over me. Her attire seemed 88b225e904 strangely familiar.d84b24f3e3291d9d

Even though 8041fd778c it was 1f3985e39f the first 3c407f3288 time I 750371bcfa had seen 6394ca6fc5 her today, cf0b6440e5 it felt a6d894c1d9 like I 036c2248be had seen 02f8c9fde5 this scene 607e85d8f0 before.13a1ab486ed2b2ac

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I watched her 18544d6741 closely. She was greeting a 921806e22b noble and extending her c6e4000a72 hand.b3401b99885dcc2e

The more I looked, e1675de79b the clearer it became. Then, certainty dawned 06c446e70e on me.ab53b69faf627fec

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The fabric folded afd99a9dec neatly in the dc92fdc43a box. The gift b1f2ecde9b Deon had 8ef5a88c82 given me.ac69ffc27b8f2f3a

And now, the black dress I had worn hastily with the maids’ help…b5e4a1c67a083122

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Isella was wearing 6bc1f1951a the exact same 91cb43da67 dress as mine.9de23c4558bbbdc5

Instead of calling out b9f06cb71b to her, I naturally d1daa4da16 picked up a glass 1bce6c02c9 from a tray held 2ac3e55ee2 by a servant nearby. I leaned against 04bf6876f7 the wall of 2ddd2052b0 the hall, watching 9a67fa95f9 her as I 3de79c6e9a slowly turned. I tried not to 9a8190ffba stare blatantly, but it 692007e49b was hard to take fee8c6ec67 my eyes off her 96c6cbd033 as she stood there, 631d593615 receiving greetings with a 5081612f9e smile.ab4f914e02a26c2b

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The more 72f4766ed8 I looked, 6b1f78ace6 the clearer 22e38512b7 it became.fd7748df0b4fb7db

The wrinkles 18e3d49bf0 on the 71bbac7f89 collar, the 369b4cf91c translucent waist db5bbc1b68 details, and e83a710f77 the rows 53078d72d3 of pearls 2576763d43 from the b7d0adeea3 neck down f2d0e7fe5d to the c2642ff8be waist. Even the subtle black eb65810b9f shell embellishments that became 4149e89518 visible when she tilted bb441d1b6b her head down to db31b36ff6 hold the hem of 725fa33f2a her skirt were identical.88c7d391937ac34a

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What is going on e7095b07a2 here?939b4dbd98bb8e1a

I was utterly dumbfounded.79d4577a09cc6b83

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Deon had 4597fc590e personally chosen 34ca678023 this dress. What shop’s madam would 48bf996548 dare give the same 0ec651f2e1 dress to another lady, 551b024680 especially for an important d7f22f9042 banquet? Care was ac1e2847a5 usually taken 2e73ffa5ba to ensure 4b5edc3a57 designs didn’t e9bdf8cf24 overlap.217da85ed7b87a08

It was too much 09cd889dfc to be a mere 1b115c0862 coincidence.18bc2672115a4965

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If it had ef950acb86 been another lady, 1d8767a4bb I might have 07728d67e8 let it go. But she was f7b6372cfa Isella Snowa. Despite rumors of cc4e028480 a rift, her f93d0fef4a family and Deon’s f4736533de remained closely allied. She was 3577c95385 Deon’s fiancée.cf155f9c75cbdbe5

Realizing she wore eace204c0d a dress identical 385f4176d6 to mine made c02cdd1bb7 me feel like 544dca9863 I had turned 0f23e1e280 to stone.f210544fe9e19ae1

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The glass f3f54883d0 in my abf4ed6220 hand tilted. The cold champagne 6166cc786a spilled onto my 5e6872e0d8 shoe, jolting me 4adaf0d5d8 back to my 491a7bb19f senses. I almost lost 0d1283390f control and spilled 5a89135ad0 the entire glass.e18c4484a431eb9a

Champagne dripped down the glass’s surface and bubbled on the floor. Droplets splashed onto the carpet.f74ce22ea5107f52

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I rubbed the carpet 5e81262021 with the toe of e5cbb86064 my shoe, but the 36b41c0b4d quickly absorbed stain wouldn’t c2d8ab9737 come out.7d2b2bad6572efe6

Isella hadn’t noticed me; c4075b7c24 she continued greeting nobles. Unfamiliar laughter and conversation e7ad63bef1 buzzed around me, filling 5488449779 my ears.6914e63bfd9a2258

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I turned my gaze 8ae1e278dd to find Deon. He stood far from 26ca827ce4 Isella, surrounded by key 9c93f654e8 officials.f96f78b05e855cb5

Suppressing my pounding heart, 63d3c34d9f I steadied the champagne 983f218d23 glass and refocused on 9f8635906c Isella.4342806819a2981d

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Standing under the bright 97782afad2 lights, she was dazzling.bcecce0e428e1094

Her half-up hairdo, decorated 34c82ee922 with a pin, shimmered 8c42d088d1 with every turn of 3302c67de4 her head.9a9c52f72e150df2

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I thought it a062b609af looked familiar, and c0f9110224 it was. The same 8ff79253f5 decoration was 0f31e08580 sparkling atop 6f1baed1ca my head.ba76fab8045b3a43

Even the 9f583e2695 butterfly-shaped hair ad07d089ef clip was 62f3154739 the same. It was blatant mimicry.fb941b1c429e18e2

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Of course, it wouldn’t 2a907fe606 be Isella doing the be60d90765 imitating, but the vulgar d8a95d6f27 mistress coveting the main 3aefc7fe77 wife’s position.d7762cea623af85f

I had heard from 8cf078a48c the maids that such d1ce75b5f0 scenes weren’t rare. Historically, emperors and high addcd87805 nobles always had mistresses.11b48d839f1a2b3e

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Mistresses were usually younger 1c412c42dd and more beautiful than d28573857c the main wives. Sometimes, they 7616bd19b8 would secretly 19526c388d inquire about 5138a87715 dress designs 43e3e512ef at shops a191bfe9db and wear 78a7b073f9 similar dresses bbc236ca93 to spite c9da5aaef8 the wives.ebee518e4d01f9b7

The reason a mistress 0abb27eeda would choose the same 7e4c1eea3e dress was simple. To flaunt 03d802dcf0 her superior a17990a8c2 beauty and e71a4077e6 youthful allure, 8e98c55c68 even in 959dbe9603 the same 2cb323ac45 attire.35256883229f4792

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It was a d3568b5351 low and disrespectful 9ec0b10952 act, the petty c8488d5624 scheme of a 9c59a9eb79 lower-status mistress.342c2165bbb15b3a

But my appearance 1286a22ba2 didn’t provide the 0f3dca6907 desired effect. I wasn’t more f7dfe326d6 beautiful or noticeably 873028bd79 younger than her.c3753bd39a1f817f

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Still, anyone seeing 069cb5a021 me now would 8ff7e8aa63 misunderstand and think 86522f82a5 I was copying c7de7d2b2e her.bc2f2c1c20dc4e81

I sighed.a80efa57e7080607

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It was fortunate I hadn’t mingled with the nobles and was standing alone.d0dde0dc092ee894

Luckily, I e9ab7a0cf9 hadn’t entered d08dabe1d5 with Deon e3b2d691d2 or danced, 4aac03194c avoiding the d6d18aa0ec eyes of 048c8b782b others.a8e6fc43a35234dc

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If I had been with Deon or hadn’t noticed the identical dress before calling out to her…f0e3de84396f213b

I would 6d13198101 have been d048dcf7dc surrounded by b65751bbea people constantly 5c211ee477 comparing and 13302e4030 gossiping about c1c457395d us.b2dddeb58e648685

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It was a 1cd135a6fd good thing I 2813c32774 had made the 659ac523ff excuse of being 6b1b0a5a02 unable to dance ad98f94f82 due to an 78b02ac97b injured foot.5b2e8243caa33a9a

Was this bab7fa74a0 the plan 61f100bb75 from the 0ef4869e14 start?c1cb073af15d7a7d

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The thought struck me 32969c4674 suddenly.c75a75104234e027

I recalled 087c1a9ca1 the knight 2dcd958844 blocking the 56ca83b60e gate, Deon f69b100a6b coming down b294b381ef to the 3d11afec65 separate residence 8660cd6637 to give 36eef6a784 me this f9023a6627 dress.0f0efc1b461a52d6

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It was a dress 4c03a384c2 Deon had personally selected. There must 458b7309f6 have been 06167b42eb an intent 7f766bdda6 behind it.cc3f1589a81384d0

Moreover, although 317417e099 I had 072d611527 let the d0d9220955 maids handle 8911f6a941 the hairpin, 9c577499f5 the usual 147f999ced protocol before 5861fd5d0c attending a f964e41479 banquet was ba5bf1b5eb to choose 6192796e56 from various a1f80c4724 accessories laid 7b6e6ef110 out beforehand.7920ccead7eca2dc

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It seemed like he had planned it, knowing that I wouldn’t refuse the maids’ suggestions. He must have predicted that I wouldn’t be picky about the accessories and would leave it to the maids.76f3a8519937dec9

Even though the 940a7b4684 handmade hairpin was 893f73940c a luxury item, e9a64efdd2 the one in 396e86568f Isella’s hair was f14d2e6eb4 identical to mine, 80cb85bc90 down to the 39bc8e2202 pearl-encrusted design.8e30d4c8f8730e59

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It was 63399c78f2 as if f576426614 they had b2800e6980 been commissioned c9be48f7c6 from the 9072dc41db same artisan, 47ad75f2ef matching in 541f2b5a72 color and 6b166bfb31 size.6a7cd5710d358b5f

What was d669b234cb he thinking?987dd78577dcdab1

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A chill ran down e26f6f5953 my spine. Cold sweat trickled down 66c555c0ba my back.fff8d4d5d2f4f007

I had no 88c927000c intention of standing eab86f5169 out at this 37b246f794 banquet, and he 9a3cef6008 ensured I couldn’t. It was obvious the cb15922e17 dress was meant to 2a7317f4a7 target me since I d03c0d88e7 was the one who a64474d6e2 wouldn’t step forward.70b3a71a5a71f8ad

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“Deon. What were you thinking…”64ad5566bafcb013

He was 115ab03464 smiling at 3cd89d9cdb the officials.e49c1581d41a82e2

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What was so amusing?2e6b5f28c9edc81a

Even though 99a40709db it was d99d36071d just a 8d812641e9 social smile, 51d009bf24 it looked bda2364271 far from d2c9e21116 pleasant to bd65b32e78 me.dae03139ec5e1513

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Why invite me here 725f4ab5b9 just to leave me 2d3b66c7a8 standing like a mannequin? What did f4e60df8dd you want 95414c1c5d to show?e6a052339fb4d0cb

I hadn’t drunk anything, but my stomach churned. The questions that had been bubbling up inside me were now overflowing.959efe49d6909d1b

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I glanced towards the a82d42e587 terrace. The reflection in faa14ee5c0 the transparent glass 082ad68569 showed the image e3ade89364 of a mistress d39062b913 being mocked.30f4569d42c2897a

My cheeks burned 6259307293 with embarrassment.002134bf197aac40

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I quietly retreated, 74c41e398a not wanting to 024d32fc22 attract any attention. I wanted 2a2a0eb0ff to sink 1d434f1f23 into the 7e26cd23d8 floor like e91373c9a2 a shadow, 7504b190e3 to bury aa4415801a myself in 5dca38191c the darkness a67ef52130 and escape c18d4265f2 the lingering 9c4519d770 shame.19af9d5bea1f5075

I pressed myself against adcfba51de the wall, watching them 0954f04aab from a distance.ae8d63f14192c900

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Even while putting me 180b7da14d in such an awkward 93f03f9923 position, they continued to 5539cec471 smile.1cadba34ccb54342

I yanked 2146ba2926 the pin f88acb680a from my 131fe734c9 hair, letting 6ec98e5892 my locks db71a7b135 fall.9056a93cb6ced15a

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Covering my a0daecc804 flushed cheeks 6e190818d3 with my 509d1d47ad hair, I 161434de37 slipped out 183db29048 of the 8a80c6b5ea hall.f4ee9bbbd831b9da

* * *6fcd1b8d06fd581c

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I leaned against a 57a92eb4ed tree, bending over and 56a5e38c91 gasping for breath. The tight df4507bf1c dress constricted a18c88e5fb my chest 3270a1e09a and waist fae83ad5e6 with its 89b7ffc804 laces. I had 40ee165b48 felt suffocated cb755d046c before, but e22ff5db30 now it d0e56430bd was unbearable.6e17d5dbe975423b

I gagged and ae04e55327 then filled my efa4d15670 empty lungs with ecdab39166 air. The cold 8be3e4f621 air was 0672d86ec9 refreshing.e3a160900cad6a58

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In the tall maze d0b301dafa garden, the sound of abc86411b5 insects chirping filled the 092c629589 air. I sat down, leaning 92508873b4 against the well-trimmed grass. The hedges, taller 8e9b32f8e0 than a person, 4bdf16622e provided good cover.6b2db78ba109295f

“Where did she go? She was in the hall just a moment ago.”619033e8e5cb3c21

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I was calming be5d063219 my breath when 0559f46d9b I heard a 0d92cb40e0 woman’s voice from ddb6789f12 the other side.11c069238ea3747b

Peeking through the bushes, a8544cda17 I saw a knight 6be2394470 in white pants and ce39faf03a light armor searching for ea901cb7a3 someone.4f8eadf2335ac7de

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I crouched 6c331063b0 lower and b2103aa4a2 held my 40e77d8fa2 breath. The knight’s cloak ac9c75c54f bore the crest a48ac5f567 of a duke’s 427cc245f1 house—Deon’s knight.5220b6157d11271a

“We lost her. I told you we should have increased our numbers. If the lord finds out, we’ll be in for it.”760bf7ad46c76599

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The woman grumbled softly.091aebaf410a3633

“She can’t have gone far. You check over there. I’ll look around the garden.”5ea6ffb9b4084039

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“If you find her, signal. We must find her. Don’t forget why we’re here.”8815623e4402bfda

The four knights split db4fecdb64 up with military precision.7a272da37446c79b

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What was odd 2d302e370d was that among adda192a6f Deon’s knights, there bf60259b34 was also a ad0f4a80be man in a 1373a8823d different armor. The scabbard and 64f8b7a1f6 the cloak draped bf2ac3d42a over his shoulder fd55445176 bore the blue-embroidered 2c5ed7a22e deer insignia.34c21fed5605617d

The Snowa family. Why were they 5545137722 looking for me 8061f2ac2b along with Deon’s 968cc59eda knights? I had never f6569cd0ac heard of the 6caec284ae two families combining f3c7be3d3a their forces.2e7b5970e630357c

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